For many people a new year brings a list of resolutions and changes that desire to be made. For others, it is difficult to get excited because they are stuck in their own discouragement and disappointments. I love what my daughter said about a week ago – “What’s the big deal about a new year . . . it’s only a change in the last number of the year?!” If your life is filled with joy, this is a great way to look at 2014 because it simply means that things can continue on the way they have been.

However, if you have found yourself in a place you don’t want to be, whether physically, emotionally or even geographically, then this New Year can offer you a chance to make some changes. In order to do this, WE NEED TO HAVE HOPE!!!

I like Bing’s definition of HOPE:

“Confident Desire: The feeling that something desirable is likely to happen.”

What is it that you desire to happen this year? What is it that gives you hope?

For me, my faith in JESUS CHRIST gives me a constant hope that I am here for a purpose. This allows me to wake up each morning,anticipating the day and looking forward to fulfilling my purpose for that day. Maybe I might bring a smile to someone’s face or lend a listening ear to a hurting person. Or maybe, I will be able to offer a word of encouragement or simply help one of my children.

Hope comes to give us a reason to look forward to each day and to anticipate positive situations.

As you enter 2014, grab a hold of HOPE! Allow hope to resonate inside of you and wipeout the worry, the mundane, and the feelings of being stuck.